Doorside Shoe Pile

I've been wanting to get a post-worthy pick like this for a long time, as it's a cultural tidbit that I find both interesting and useful.  They've done studies on how much unseen pollutants are brought into a home via the bottoms of one's shoes.  As it turns out, there's a surprising amount of lead (from cars) picked up from the street and deposited on the floor, especially if it's carpeted.  Then you have pets and babies roaming around ingesting things, paving the way for that lead to enter the body.  And of course there are other things besides lead that you don't want around and that you don't want to think about, especially if you have kids!  Thus, there is a very practical side to removing one's shoes as he or she enters a house.

However, this being a cultural issue, it is doubtful that the reduction of pollutants is what an Asian homeowner thinks about when taking off the shoes to go inside.  Over time it has evolved into a sign of respect.  Everyone knows that the bottoms of one's shoes are dirty, and it's simply disrespectful to bring dirtiness, in any form, into the home.

Nevertheless, because I wasn't raised in a shoe-less household indoors, it's a bit of a comfort - even a bit of nostalgia as well, perhaps - to not have to worry about taking your shoes off when going inside.  After all, removing the shoes can be seen as a restriction, and Americans don't like to be restricted or told what to do, do they?